Wiry strand packaging mechanism



Dec. 26, 1961 H. R. MORGAN 3,014,262

WIRY STRAND PACKAGING MECHANISM Filed June 4, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 IN VENTOR.

Dec. 26, 1961 H. R. MORGAN WIRY STRAND PACKAGING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 4, 1958 INVENTOR.

BY J

All-T 3,614,262 Patented Dec. 26,. 1961 3,014,262 WlRY STRAND PACKAGING MECHANISM Harold R. Morgan, Dolton, 111., assignor to The Kendall Company, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed June 4, 1958, Ser. No. 739,826

- 8' Claims. (Cl. 28-21) This invention relates to a machine for transferring a length of resilient wiry strandlike material progressively lengthwise from a receiving funnel in a directed manner into a container. More particularly, the invention relates to a machine for transferring resilient strandlike material, such as catgut or other wiry organic suture material, from a receiving funnel through'motion imparting means and a guide into a package for said strandlike material,

mechanism whereby wiry resilient strandlike material may be given lengthwise motion while it simultaneously is directed into a package in such a manner as to form a coil which later may be freely uncoiled lengthwise from said package without kinking or entanglement.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description and the drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a plan view of a machine of this invention.

FIG. 2 shows a side elevation of the machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a view taken of a cross section along the line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates a partial view of a cross section taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 illustrates isometrically a modification of the holding device adapted to receive packages vertically edgewise.

FIG. 6 is the plan view of a package of the type being loaded in FIGS. 2 and 3.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 a base 11 supports standards 12 and 13 which are drilled to receive bearings 14 and 15 for the drive shaft 16 and slotted bearings 17 and 18 for the driven shaft 19. Shaft 16 is fitted on one end with a pulley 20 which is turned by belt 21 driven by motor 22 through pulley 23. As is shown in FIG. 4 the bearing 15 for shaft 16 and the corresponding bearing 14 at the other end are fitted into the respective frame members 13 and 12. The shaft 16, which is thus rotating in fixed bearings, carries a roll 24 which preferably is of steel, but which may be of either hard or soft rubber or other suitable material. The bearings 17 and 18, as is illustrated in FIG. 4, may be moved so that shaft 19 approaches shaft 16 compressing springs 25 and 26. Shaft 19 carries a roller 27 which is preferably of soft rubber. Rollers 24 and 27 represent surface elements which move progressively at similar speeds and converge to define a nip, there being substantially no relative speed between these surface elements at the nip. Frames 12 and 13 are also drilled to receive shaft 28, FIGS. 1 and 3, which carries at one end eccentric cam 30 and at the other end a similar parallel cam 29, and the knurled knob 31, FIGS. 1 and 2. Screws 32 and 33 lock the shaft 28 in position when the cams 29 and 30 are in the desired position. Cams 29 and 30 bear against external portions of bearings 17 and 18 respectively. These bearings are retained on the end of the shafts by set screws 34 and 35, FIG. 1, which project into the slotted ends of shaft 19. In practice the knurled knob is turned to rotate parallel identical cams 29 and 30 moving the bearing blocks 17 and 18 and the roller 27 to vary the compression on springs 25and' 26 thus adjustingthe nip between rollers 24 and 27. After the nip is adjusted, the cam shaft is locked.

The wiry strand 38. is introduced into the machine by way of funnel 37 leading to a central guide channel 36 and fastenedto bracket 39 in,a vertical position, whereby it delivers the strand material into the nip between rolls 24 and 27. A lower guide 40 is also held in an upright position byv bracket 41 projecting horizontally between uprights 12 and 13. Between the uprights 12 and 13 and projecting through the base 11, is an upright screw thread 44, this upright screw thread is attached to the base by screws 45 and 46. Threading with this. upright screw thread is a circular nut 47 with a knurled'portion 48. The circular nut 47 rises vertically or descends as the knurled knob 48 is turned. Capping the circular nut and resting.

loosely upon the shoulder 49 of the nut is the vacuum chamber 50. This chamber which is drilled to receive the'vacuum line 51, is closed with a top 52 which is fastened by peripheral. screws 53 and prevented fromv leaking by gasket 54. The top 52 is bored with a series of channels 55 which have counter sunk tops and which lead to the circular concavity 56 in the top 52. An air pipe 57 directs air to inflate a reel package 58. In practice the reel package 58 is placed upon the concavity in the top 52 of the vacuum chamber 50. The vacuum channels 55 hold the reel package 58 in position so that the lower guide 40 is directly over the central hole in the suture package 58. The knurl knob 48 may be turned to adjust the height of the package 58 so that the lower guide 40 either projects slightly into the reel package 58 or is slightly above the reel package. A strand of resilient material 33 is then inserted into the funnel guide 37 until it is taken in the nip between driving roll 24, which may have a surface speed of as much as 700 feet per minute, and driven roll 27. The strand is immediately projected longitudinally through the lower guide 40 and into the package 58 through hole 64 at relatively high speed. The end of the strand upon striking the bottom of the package 53 turns and moves along the bottom of the package until it strikes the point Where the two surfaces of the package meet. Thereafter the strand automatically winds itself into a circular coil as the package with an end portion 65 of the strand projecting from the package. The filled package is removed and replaced with an empty one.

In FIG. 5 is illustrated an alternative method for using the machine to make figure-eight coils rather than circular coils. In this embodiment, the vacuum chamber 50 is replaced by a flat platform 59, carrying clips 60 and 61 at the ends and co-operating clips 62 at the center portion. The end clips hold the rectangular package 63 on edge, while the co-operating center clips catch and hold temporarily the end of the strand, when it is projected into the package. Thereafter the strand forms itself into a figure-eight as the strand material is progressively projected lengthwise into the package from the lower guide 41? by first forming a loop on one side and then one on the other side. This pattern is continued until the figure-eight coil is complete.

I claim:

1. In a mechanism for packaging wiry resilient strands, dual elements each defining surface contact areas, means during contact between such strands and said contact areas moving said elements to affect progressive movement at similar surface speeds of their respective surface contact areas along paths constantly converging toward tangency and then diverging therefrom, stationary funnel means positioned to funnel such a strand, thrust thereinto, between and into progressive gripping engagement with said respective contact areas as they progressively converge, and stationary guide means separated from said funnel means and positioned to receive such a strand propelled lengthwise by said gripping engagement with the respective contact areas of said moving elements and progressively released from engagement by diverging movement of said respective contact areas, and to guide such a strand into a hole in a stationary package to form it into a coil therein.

2. In a mechanism for coiling strands into stationary packages, dual converging surface elements constantly defining a nip, means for moving said surface elements progressively with substantially no relative speed at said nip during nip contact with a strand, stationary funnel means between the surface elements on the entrance side of said nip for receiving and guiding a wiry resilient strand thrust therein into nip contact, and stationary guide means on the opposite side of said nip from said funnel means for receiving such a strand, propelled lengthwise by nip contact with said moving surface elements, and for guiding it progressively into a hole in a package to form it into a coil therein.

3. The mechanism of claim 2 wherein the surface elements are cylindrical rolls.

4. The mechanism of claim 3 wherein one of the rolls has a resilient surface.

5. In the mechanism of claim 2, means for adjusting the nip distance between said converging surface elements.

6. The mechanism of claim 5 wherein said adjusting means comprises spring means tending to separate said converging surface elements at the nip and stop means adjustably limiting the separation of said converging surface elements at the nip.

7. The mechanism of claim 6 wherein the stop means are parallel eccentric cams cooperating together.

8. The mechanism of claim 2 wherein one converging surface element drives the other by means of friction between the two at the nip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 532,405 Threlfall Jan. 8, 1895 1,003,484 McFeely Sept. 19, 1911 1,915,113 Wood et al. June 20, 1933 2,090,669 Dreyfus et al. Aug. 24, 1937 2,321,404 McCann June 8, 1943 2,525,590 Collins Oct. 10, 1950 2,693,273 Kopplin Nov. 2, 1954 2,695,429 Howes et al Nov. 30, 1954 2,746,118 Drummond et al May 22, 1956 2,854,731 Drummond Oct. 7, 1958 2,959,279 Kratft et a1. Nov. 8, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 426,583 Great Britain Apr. 5, 1935 

